The Australian Greens are calling on the SA Government to stand with coastal communities, tourism and fishery industries in protecting the Great Australian Bight marine park from high-risk oil drilling by Statoil.

A Senate inquiry into the plans of companies like BP and Chevron to drill for oil in South Australia’s Great Australian Bight Marine Park has produced an extraordinary report, in which a South Australian Labor Senator has refused to endorse his own party’s comments and instead sided with the Liberals and the fossil fuel lobby.

Chevron has proven it cannot be trusted with the pristine environment of the Great Australian Bight if they refuse to play by Australia’s tax rules, Australian Greens Senator for South Australia and finance spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said today.

“Chevron has fought for almost 15 years against paying its fair share of tax to Australians, after being given a leg up by the Australian government. The loan to Chevron not only ripped off Australian taxpayers for years, but the money ended up offshore providing no benefit to Australia,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

The Australian Greens today reiterated their call for a national ban on fracking in light of reports that unconventional gas fracking could be worse than coal for the climate. 

Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on resources said:

“This newest study on massive ‘fugitive’ pollution from fracking wells shows we need a national ban on fracking. 

“Unconventional gas fracking wells and pipes leak like a sieve, and they could be just as bad for the climate as burning coal

The Federal Senate will vote on whether to ban drilling for oil in the Great Australian Bight tomorrow, following revelations oil giant Chevron has been donating tens of thousands of dollars to the Labor and Liberal parties.

“The public is rightly worried that this money has bought Chevron influence in both the Liberal and Labor parties. If Labor and the Liberals want the public to believe they can’t be bought, supporting this amendment is the first test,” Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Responding to a damning new report from the Melbourne Energy Institute showing that the CSG industry has drastically under-estimated dangerous methane pollution from ‘fugitive’ emissions.  Information from Senate Estimates last week shows that the government has not funded crucial further research.  

Senator Larissa Waters, deputy leader of the Australian Greens and resources spokesperson said;